The bills basically incorporated plans proposed within the past three years by the various pension boards.

Some may argue the changes didn't go far enough or took too long to pass. But that any reform at all was achieved is encouraging. The most remarkable aspect was not the content of the complicated bills, but that they passed both the Senate and House nearly unanimously.

Getting Republicans and Democrats to agree on much of anything has been difficult since November, when voters soundly rejected Issue 2 (also known as Senate Bill 5), which would have limited certain collective bargaining rights of public unions in Ohio.

Had that controversial bill not been repealed, Republicans likely would have plowed forward with more drastic pension reform measures. Instead, they worked with Democrats to make reasonable, long-term corrections to the pension plans without increasing the burden to taxpayers.